Quoting empire state of mind:" I used to all the time too. I somehow got over it. Although I did almost pass out at the end when I donated. ... [snip!] ... out at the end when I donated. The first time I tried to donate I passed out when they pricked my finger to take my iron lol"

I am just going to poke in here and give a BIG THANK YOU to all who donate.

I am alive because of donor blood. For two years I was transfusion dependant. I recieved 2 units ever 7-12 days (think about how much that was over a 2year span and how much one person gives each time they donate). At any given time I could need to go back on transfusions but so far, without my spleen my body is sustaining itself. Part of that time I was pregnant with my son. If it weren't for donors who give selflessly of themselves, my son and I wouldn't be here today. So, thank you all very much for taking that 45min -1hr to give that blood.

Honestly, I could go on for hours and even days about how much I appreciate those who donate blood and how much it has meant to my family. The fear in my little girls eyes everytime I was in the hospital and them worried I was never going to come home was more than I could take. Knowing that donor blood made a basic quality of life possible for me and and allowed me to give a sense of "normal" to my then 2yr old little girls was like no other magical gift. There just aren't words.

If you can get out and donate, do.

side note* O- is the universal donor. If this is your blood type, it is most commonly used in newborns in the NICU until they are able to be properly typed and screened. Same for all emergency trauma's.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Dovahkiin:</b>" What does your husband having a bleeding disorder have to do with you donating..? "</blockquote>

They said that because he's a hemophiliac that if he *were* to have any diseases that could be transferred through blood that I'm at a higher risk of contracting them through sex, and they don't do thorough enough testing to check for every little thing. I was pretty bummed because they come to my school like twice a month and now I can never donate... Unless I go a year without having sex with my husband :lol:

ETA: you're one of the few people who have actually heard of hemophilia lol I usually get, "What's that?"

I used to pass out in nursing school all the time just looking at IVs and needles lol. I guess I desensitized myself to them. Although I gotta admit if I think about needles to much I still feel squeamish

Quoting empire state of mind:" I used to pass out in nursing school all the time just looking at IVs and needles lol. I guess I desensitized ... [snip!] ... lol. I guess I desensitized myself to them. Although I gotta admit if I think about needles to much I still feel squeamish"

There is a plasma center a few blocks away from where I live and people legitimately donate plasma as a form of income. It boggles my mind because I can't even watch the nurse give me a flu shot.

Quoting Jalen's mommy:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Dovahkiin:</b>" What does your husband having a bleeding disorder ... [snip!] ... my husband :lol: ETA: you're one of the few people who have actually heard of hemophilia lol I usually get, "What's that?""

I'm still not understanding. Your blood has nothing to do with your husband's...

Quoting empire state of mind:" oh wow was that after giving birth? I'm an L&D nurse and fairly often we have people hemorrhage and have to transfuse them."

No oddy enough, apparently the internest who was referred to my case following my most recent birth suspected I had ITP but never saw fit to mention it too me or put it on my discharge papers (it was later found when they got desperate and started digging for info). It happened when I thought I was done having children and decided to have a hemorrhoidectomy. At first everything looked good but because we didn't know about the ITP we never took any precautions against it (such as oversuturing instead of cauderizing or my knowing not to take ibuprophen for pain relief). So about a day after I went home I very suddenly lost a great deal of blood. My husband was convinced it wasn't that bad and he could drive me in, I'm grateful there was no traffic that morning because by the time he got me there I was unconscious and my arms and legs were curled in, nurses kept exclaiming their shock that I hadn't experienced cardiac issues yet. Now I'm suprisingly pregnant again and a little petrified of giving birth this time, just hopeful that birth won't kill me now that we know about it.

Quoting Not tellin:" I am just going to poke in here and give a BIG THANK YOU to all who donate. I am alive because of donor ... [snip!] ... commonly used in newborns in the NICU until they are able to be properly typed and screened. Same for all emergency trauma's. "

That sounds so scary. I'm happy that some selfless people were able to save you and your son!

Also we type and screen every baby with their cord blood at work. The ONLY time we don't T&S is with multiples.

Quoting Not tellin:" I am just going to poke in here and give a BIG THANK YOU to all who donate. I am alive because of donor ... [snip!] ... commonly used in newborns in the NICU until they are able to be properly typed and screened. Same for all emergency trauma's. "

this is why i love donating because never know if and when i would ever need blood, or just anyone close to me or that i know. love knowing im doing something good for someone out there when it doesnt take but an hour up of my day

Were you anemic once? Anemia is either based on your diet (situational) or can be related to a blood disorder (conditional). If your anemia hasn't been investigated (it would have been if it was severe enough), I would say that it was a situational deal and you could always try again. Make sure that your iron and folic acid intake is steady.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Dovahkiin:</b>" I'm still not understanding. Your blood has nothing to do with your husband's... "</blockquote>

To be honest, I don't see why I can't either but they won't let me. I don't even think they're sure why they won't accept my blood. I got two different answers (the other being that his factor can be transferred to me) and then a nurse who just flat out said, "I don't know why, but you can't donate." Maybe it has something to do with his factor being intravenous? I don't know.